Set top box or server having snap-in heat sink and smart card reader

ABSTRACT

An electronic device is provided that comprises a bottom frame portion; an information card reader over the bottom frame portion; a thermal insulation layer; a circuit board over the thermal insulation layer; a top broad heat sink over the circuit board; and a top cover over the top broad heat sink.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Applications61/464,829 filed Mar. 9, 2011 and 61/464,965 filed Mar. 11, 2011 whichare incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a set top box and, in particular, to a set topbox having a snap-in heat sink and a smart card reader.

BACKGROUND

Thermal management remains a significant challenge in set top boxes ingeneral. In fact, with the introduction of more components such as smartcard readers and increased functionalities, which tend to introduce moreheat that needs to be dissipated, the need for an improved thermalmanagement system continues.

An additional complication in set top boxes is the ever increasing needto miniaturize or reduce the size of set top boxes due to consumerpreference. This trend for compactness also makes thermal management achallenge, because this greater compactness with the increase in thenumber of internal components and functionalities concentrates heat.

An additional problem in set top boxes is the tendency for the infrared(IR) receivers to tilt backward in a set top box. Therefore, a needexists to stabilize IR receivers in modern set top boxes in a mannerthat does not increase the volume of the set top box and theintroduction of even more components.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, the invention was devised in light of the problemsdescribed above, and an object of the invention, inter alia, is toprovide an electronic device such as set top box, server or the like,with improved thermal management capabilities and a compact spaceefficient design. The electronic device can comprise a bottom frameportion; an information card reader over the bottom frame portion; athermal insulation layer; a circuit board over the thermal insulationlayer; a top broad heat sink over the circuit board; and a top coverover the top broad heat sink. The thermal insulation layer can includean aperture through which the information card reader is electricallyconnected to the circuit board. The top broad heat sink can include aplanar peripheral portion surrounding one or more central depressionportions in which the central depression portion or portions contact atleast one heat generating component on the circuit board. The electronicdevice can further include a remote control receiver assembly that canbe stabilized by a wall portion of the heat sink that can extend fromthe planar peripheral portion. The electronic device can further includethe features of the bottom frame portion having a pair of verticallyextending portions that have clip receiving slots on two opposing sidesof the bottom frame and the top broad heat sink having a pair ofopposing wall portions, wherein each opposing wall portion has two clipsthat snap into the clip receiving slots, thereby securing the top broadheat sink in the bottom frame. The electronic device can also include aninformation card reader slot formed by a gap between the bottom frameand one of the two opposing sides.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be explained in detail with reference to embodiments,referring to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a disassembled set top box according tothe invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the top side of the circuit board in the settop box according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the bottom side of the circuit board in the settop box according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the bottom side of the circuit board with thesmart card recorder;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the set top box of the invention with the topcover removed;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of interior components of the set top boxillustrating features of the heat sink according to the invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective magnified view showing how the heat sink issecured to the bottom frame of the set top box;

FIG. 8 is a perspective bottom view of internal components of the settop box according to the invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of interior components of the set top boxillustrating other embodiments of the invention; and

FIG. 10 shows a bottom perspective view of the set top box highlightingthe smart card access.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S)

The set top box 1 according to the invention will now be described withreference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a view of the set top box 1 disassembledto show how key components can be positioned with respect to oneanother. In the set top box, a smart card reader 3 can be positionedunder a thermal insulator or barrier 4. The thermal barrier 4 can bepositioned under a printed circuit board 5 and the smart card reader 3can be connected to the printed circuit board 5 through an aperture 8 inthe thermal barrier 4. The set top box 1 can have the internalcomponents, which include the smart card reader 3, thermal barrier 4,printed circuit board 5, and a snap-in top broad heat sink 6 on theprinted circuit board 5, positioned between the bottom frame 2 and thetop cover 7. The thermal barrier 4 can be a thermally insulatingmaterial that preferably has substantially the same top plan viewprofile as the printed circuit board 5 or a profile that is at 80% ofthe profile of the printed circuit board 5. Also, the top heat sink 6can have a top plan view profile that completely covers the printedcircuit board or substantially covers the circuit board such that atleast above 80% of the printed circuit board 5 is covered.

FIGS. 2-4 are various views of the printed circuit board 5. FIG. 2 is aplan view of the top side of the printed circuit board 5 in the set topbox 1 which shows an example layout. FIG. 2 shows that the circuit board5 can have an infrared receiver assembly 21 attached to or near thefront edge 26 of the circuit board 5 and a reset switch 22 and channel ¾selector switch attached to or near the rear edge of the circuit board5. Although the illustration shows specific examples of circuit boardcomponents such as an IR receiver assembly 21, these components can besubstituted for other components and additional components can be used.For example, the IR receiver assembly 21, which can be used for remotecontrol purposes, could be substituted with a radiofrequency receiverassembly. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the bottom side of the circuit board5 which shows that the circuit board 5 can include additional componentsuch a smart card reader interface 24. FIG. 4 is another plan view ofthe bottom side of the circuit board in which a smart card recorder 3 isattached to the bottom of the circuit board 5. It is important to notethat although the example includes a smart card reader 3, otherinformation card readers can be used and are within the scope of theinvention.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of the interior of the set top box, illustratingaccess to a reset point through an access aperture 51 in the main topheat sink 6, when the reset point is on the printed circuit board 5 withthe circuit board set in the bottom frame 2. In this view the IRreceiver assembly 21 can be seen on the circuit board 5. The heat sink 6is a key heat extraction feature and can include the heat sink contact 9which is shown in FIG. 1. The top broad heat sink 6 is an effective wayto cool the main integrated circuit of the set top box. The top broadheat sink 6 can be a generally contoured plate that has a generallyplanar periphery 52 and a contoured central feature 53 such as a pocket,central depression, notch, recess, multilevel depression, or mesaextending from and/or into a plane of the planar periphery, wherein theplanar periphery preferably surrounds the central depression. In theillustrated embodiment, the planar periphery 52 surrounds 3 or 4 sidesof the central depression feature 53. The central feature or centraldepression 53 can have side walls extending from the planar peripheryand form an obtuse angle therewith. The contoured feature can optionallyhave a flat bottom designed to contact the main integrated circuitand/or other heat generating components on a printed circuit board 5that contacts the heat sink contact 9.

FIG. 6 is a perspective interior view of the set top box 1 whichaddresses the problem of the IR receiver assembly 21 being vulnerable toinadvertently tipping, bending, or otherwise being damaged. The reasonfor the vulnerability is the IR receiver assembly 21 generally standsvertically at the front edge 26 of the circuit board 5. To address thepotential mechanical weakness of the IR receiver assembly 21, the heatsink 6 has an extension or vertical extension 63 protruding the planarperiphery 52. The front surface of the vertical extension 63 contactsthe back of the IR receiver assemble 21, thereby providing mechanicalstability to the IR receiver assembly 21. Additionally, the verticalextension 63 which can extend downward can extend to contact the top ofthe circuit board 5 or other components on the circuit board 5 tofurther extract heat from the circuit board 5 and/or components thereon.

Additionally, the heat sink 6 can further have at least one set ofopposing sides 64, which can include the vertical extension 63,perpendicular to the planar periphery 52 at the outer edges of theplanar periphery 52 that extend over the printed circuit board and cancontact the bottom cover or vertically extending portions of the bottomcover.

FIGS. 6 and 7 also show how the heat sink 6 can attach to the bottomframe 2. Four vertically extending portions 62 extend from the bottompart of the bottom frame 2. The extending portions 62 can have extensionreceiving slots 61, which are designed to receive heat sink snaps 71that extends from the opposing sides 64 that extend down from the planarperiphery 52. The extending portions 62 can be plastic components, andas such, allows the heat sink snaps 71 to elastically snap into theslots 61, thereby securing the heat sink.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective bottom view of internal components of the settop box 1 which includes the thermal insulator (or thermal barrier) 4.The positioning of the smart card reader 3 on the bottom side of thecircuit board 5 with the thermal barrier 4 between the smart card reader3 and the circuit board 5 provides an additional heat management featureof the set top box. In fact, the thermal barrier 4 keeps the smart cardreader from getting too hot by, in part, preventing heat from thecircuit board 5 and components thereon from transferring to thecomponents under the circuit board 5 such as the smart card reader 3. Asshown in FIG. 1, the smart card reader 3 can be connected to the printedcircuit board 5 through an aperture 8 in the thermal barrier 4.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of interior components of the set top boxhighlighting other embodiments of the invention. This embodiment showsthat the set top box can include a second central depression 90 that cancontact a thermal pad associated with the smart card/smart card reader.Further, there can be a smart card access slot 91 which can be below thecircuit board 5 and one of the opposing sides 64. The slot 91 can alsobe between two vertical extension portions 62 and above the bottom frame2. The slot is shown being on a short side of the set top box, but canbe positioned on other sides. The second central depression 90 canthermally communicate with the smart card reader through an aperture inthe circuit board 5 (not shown) or a thermal contact through the circuitboard.

FIG. 10 shows a bottom perspective view of the set top box 1. FIG. 10illustrates how the smart card 101 can be inserted into or removed fromthe set top box 1. The smart card 101 is inserted into the smart cardreader 3 through slot 91 which can be positioned on a side of the settop box. This card access region essentially includes the top cover 7having a concave contour 102 curved toward the top of the set top topermits fingers to reach under a curved portion and over the smart cardto grip the smart card 101. Additionally, the bottom frame 2 can have acomplementary slot 103 on the bottom of the set top box that extendsinward to permit fingers to reach under the smart card 101 to grip thesmart card.

It should be understood that the drawings are for purposes ofillustrating the concepts of the disclosure and are not necessarily theonly possible configurations for illustrating the disclosure. Forexample, although the examples are mentioned with regard to a set topbox and smart cards, the invention is applicable to other electronicsdevices having hard drives and these other devices can have types ofinformation cards other than smart cards. Additionally, the heat sinkcould be hard mounted, welded or soldered in place.

1. An electronic device comprising: a bottom frame portion; aninformation card reader over the bottom frame portion; a thermalinsulation layer; a circuit board over the thermal insulation layer; atop broad heat sink over the circuit board; and a top cover over the topbroad heat sink.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the thermalinsulation layer has an aperture through which the information cardreader is electrically connected to the circuit board.
 3. The electronicdevice of claim 1 wherein the top broad heat sink has a planarperipheral portion surrounding a central depression portion, the centraldepression portion contacting a heat generating component on the circuitboard.
 4. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising a remotecontrol receiver assembly.
 5. The electronic device of claim 4 whereinthe remote control receiver assembly is an infrared receiver.
 6. Theelectronic device of claim 4 wherein the remote control receiverassembly is a radio frequency receiver.
 7. The electronic device ofclaim 4 wherein the top broad heat sink comprises a wall portionextending from the planar peripheral portion, the wall portioncontacting the remote control receiver assembly, thereby stabilizing theremote control receiver assembly.
 8. The electronic device of claim 3wherein the top broad heat sink has a second central depression portion,the central depression portion contacting a second heat generatingcomponent on the circuit board.
 9. The electronic device of claim 3wherein the bottom frame portion comprises a pair of verticallyextending portions that have clip receiving slots on two opposing sidesof the bottom frame; the top broad heat sink has a pair of opposing wallportions, each opposing wall portion having two clips that snap into theclip receiving slots, thereby securing the top broad heat sink in thebottom frame.
 10. The electronic device of claim 9 further comprising aninformation card reader slot formed by a gap between the bottom frameand one of the two opposing sides.
 11. The electronic device of claim 1,wherein the electronic device is a set top box.
 12. The electronicdevice of claim 1, wherein the information card reader is a smart cardreader.
 13. The electronic device of claim 2 further comprising a remotecontrol receiver assembly; wherein the top broad heat sink has a planarperipheral portion surrounding a central depression portion, the centraldepression portion contacting a heat generating component on the circuitboard; and wherein the top broad heat sink comprises a wall portionextending from the planar peripheral portion, the wall portioncontacting the remote control receiver assembly, thereby stabilizing theremote control receiver assembly.
 14. The electronic device of claim 13wherein the top broad heat sink has a second central depression portion,the second central depression portion contacting a second heatgenerating component on the circuit board.
 15. The electronic device ofclaim 14 wherein the bottom frame portion comprises a pair of verticallyextending portions that have clip receiving slots on two opposing sides;the top broad heat sink has a pair of other opposing wall portions, eachopposing wall portion having two clips that snap into the clip receivingslots, thereby securing the top broad heat sink in the bottom frame.